John Doughty joins protective case manufacturer Tech21

John Doughty has made a swift return to the mobile industry by joining London based protective case specialists Tech21 as ‘global commercial director’.

Doughty, who has more than 15 years experience in the telecom space, begun the newly created position on July 23 – having quit his head of distribution role at Brightstar 20:20 in April after just one year.

Tech21, which saw annual turnover almost double in its last financial year from £8.7 million to £16.9 million, has appointed Doughty to help build and establish new “strategic global relationships” as part of its international growth plans as well as use his experience to “refine” and “execute” its B2B and B2C channel plans.

The firm, formed in 2005, currently has existing operations in the UK, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and the US. UK retail partnerships include EE, Dixons and Carphone Warehouse, whilst distribution partners include Doughty’s former employers Exertis Micro P (general manager 2009-2013) and Brightstar 20:20 .

Tech21 CEO Jason Roberts commented: “John brings 15 years of experience in the industry and will join us on the next growth phase of the company. The growth we’ve experienced means we need to bolster our senior team so we can continue to offer support to our channel. John’s experience in this area will no doubt have a great impact on the business.”

Doughty added: “Jason has built a passionate and committed global team, with significant potential and capability for growth. It’s a great time to be joining Tech 21, the growth of both the business, and the market sectors it operates in, have been nothing short of stellar.”

Tech21 claims to be the UK’s second largest manufacturer of protective cases (smartphones and tablets) behind Samsung, and sixth in the US.